Tuesday, January 27, 2015

The Ideal Getaway

I went on a 2.5 day ski trip (I didn't ski; I snowboarded, but ski just rolls off the tongue more eloquently) this past weekend at Stowe, Vermont. It was just the second time I went out to the mountains to snowboard. I've never gone to the mountains in the winter before this year -- my family doesn't partake in sports like skiing/snowboarding/tubing/etc. and they also don't particularly like being out in the cold. But I'm different and adventurous. As long as I have the right gear, being out in the cold is a pleasant time. I've gone snowboarding twice now, and I'm hooked! I'm still a beginner -- green circle status -- but I've got the basic gist of it down: I can feather down a steep hill, ride straight, turn left and right, crave accidentally, and sometimes ride goofy.

During my repetitive ride-fall, ride-fall routine, it dawned upon me how nice it would be to live out there, outside the hub of a city, away from the worldly distractions and constant chatter. I couldn't help imagine how wonderful it would be to live in a small house in the mountains, peacefully watch the snow, sip a hot beverage, and go snowboarding on whim. And then to go hiking and star gazing in the warmer seasons. And of course to take in the fresh growth and foliage of the in-between seasons. It seemed like the perfect place to live, especially since my current life is so draining.

But then I remembered my needs. I need to make a living and contribute to the world in some form. Out there in the semi-isolated world would not be where I would be able to do those things. For other people, yes. But not for me. I am not a writer, an inn keeper, a farmer or an artisan. I am an engineer; I work in teams to design, innovate, and create technology for the betterment of society. No quiet mountain side community would welcome the intrusion of the super contrasting industrial nature of an engineering company or research facility. So far now, I will just have to reserve that wonderful, peaceful, ideal for vacations, escapes, which is quite a luxury in itself, because I get a taste of both worlds.